Krakra Fortress

The Krakra Fortress is located on a small rocky plateau on the southwest side of the city of Pernik (western Bulgaria). One of its major purposes was to deny attacks against the Bulgarian capital Sredec. The strategic fortress is bounded with the name of Krakra – a local chieftain who dared to lead an army of his own against the Byzantine Empire troops. The Byzantine chronicles determine him as a notable boyar and as a ruler of the town during the reign of Bulgarian tzar Samuil. Krakra controlled another 35 fortress in the area. The remains of the fortress, consisting of sandstone, outline a multiangular area with a total size of 45 decares. The town was destroyed for a first time during the 3th century B.C. Later on it was rebuilt by the Thracian tribes and performed very vivid trade relations with the neighbors. The town was exceptionally busy during the Roman domination. During the 6th century the town got weak probably because of the Slav invasions.